We need an Audrie's Law.

There's yet another story circulating in the news, similar to the recent Steubenville, Ohio case, of a teenage girl who was sexually assaulted while unconscious. Her name was Audrie Pott and she was only fifteen years old. That Yahoo article says that she was at a sleepover where the teenagers were drinking. When she passed out, three of the teenagers, all 16-year-old males, carried her upstairs to a bedroom and assaulted her, even drawing inappropriate comments on her exposed body. Pictures were taken and circulated throughout her school. Humiliated, she committed suicide soon after the photographs were released.

This brings to mind the conversations we've had in class about the rape culture. It's becoming more and more common for women to be taken advantage of, especially while they're in a state when they cannot defend themselves. What I still cannot wrap my head around is how tamely the perpetrators are treated. The article said that although the three teenage boys were removed from the football team, they were not suspended even though Audrie's parents pleaded with the principal for them to be. Whether or not pleas were made, standard disciplinary action should be their removal from school, and I can't believe that wasn't done. Rape is a serious crime, and whether or not those boys are minors, they should be punished to the full extent. Honestly, I think they should be tried as adults. Audrie's parents are fighting for that, but according to the article, they probably won't be tried as adults because of California's laws. With what seems to be an increase in cases like this, I think those laws should change.

Another point to note is that the boys are being charged with "sexual battery, dissemination of child pornography, and possession of child pornography". California laws require that the charges be less severe if the victim wasn't conscious to fight off the attack. A rape is a rape, and sexual assault is sexual assault, whether she was conscious or not. Just because she couldn't defend herself doesn't mean that justice should be lenient. If anything charges should be MORE severe because she couldn't do anything about what was happening.

Do you think minors should be tried as adults for crimes like this? Or should they receive the lawful punishment for minors as a warning in hopes that they'll learn and not become repeat offenders?

Do you think the California law that requires lesser charges to be filed if the victim was unconscious during the attack perpetuates the rape culture?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lawyer-assaulted-teen-had-drawings-name-body-195508441.html